The stratum germinativum is a Latin term, which translates to germinative layer. This layer is composed of germinative (or basal) keratinocytes. These cells are actively dividing to provide new cells to replenish lost skin from normal shedding. Thus, they provide the keratinocytes (prickle cells) of the stratum spinosum, which later migrate through the other layers to the topmost layer (stratum corneum) of the skin. Other cellular elements found in the stratum germinativum are melanocytes (pigment-producing cells), Langerhans cells (immune cells), and Merkel cells (touch receptor cells).